The Opera organizes its grand event of integrated arts entitled Faust Ball on 14 February 2015. Similar to the first ball in 2014 entitled Silver Rose Ball, its main mission is a charitable cause: the guests contribute to the purchase of an ambulance for the Hungarian National Emergency Ambulance Service. Special guest of the ball is international superstar soprano Angela Gheorghiu.

At the end of January, between two regular concerts, the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra gives another one in memory of the victims of the holocaust. The winter concert series feature renowned conductors as well as young, award-winning soloists.

As the first premiere in 2015, the Hungarian State Opera produces The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky. So far it has only been featured in the repertoire of the Opera only once – it was put on stage 35 years ago. In the production by director Ferenc Anger two international guest artists make their Hungarian debut on 18 January 2015.

It has been exactly 130 years since the Budapest Opera opened its gates on 27 September, 1884. The Hungarian State Opera commemorates the anniversary of the opening with crowds in period costumes, an extraordinary gala concert, the premier of a film, and the publication of a historical book.

Following last year’s MozartLateNight, this is the turn of two French composers to shake things up as their one-act operas take us to the exotic world of the Orient. Bizet’s Djamileh is a steamy tale, set on the banks of the Nile, about a slave woman who falls in love with her captor, while Saint-Saëns’s La Princesse Jaune (The Yellow Princess) is one about a Dutchman’s delirious vision of a Japanese phantasm. Strictly for over 18s only!

Events

Revealing session of couples’ therapy centring around a bell inauguration ceremony.
Title Character nearly wins high-stepping girl’s affection, as a result of which the entire
cast winds up in the same room. Everybody in secret, from somewhere else, for different
reasons – except that one of them – Title Character himself – isn’t real. She’s a doll who
stirred up the small town. Wedding bells are going to ring.

Tartalom:

Act 1

The scene is a small town in Poland, near the Galician border. The billposter sticks up a bill calling the people’s attention to the celebration of the inauguration of the bell and to the dancing competition. Swanilda the bell-founder’s daughter is going to take part in the competition and she is proud to show her new dress to her friends. The square fills with people. The young men’s attention is drawn by the girl sitting by the window in the house of the old jack-of-all-trades Coppelius. They start a virtuoso dance to arouse her interest. Swanilda’s fiancé Francois also takes part in the dance, at the end of which the unknown beauty drops a handkerchief to thank them for the performance. Francois picks it up proudly but, at this moment, Swanilda appears. She has seen everything and runs away wounded in her pride.

Driven by curiosity, the boys make noise around Coppelius’ house. The man sets out to chase them away but he loses the key to the gate, which is found by a friend of Swanilda’s. The girls are also curious about the house and the mysterious girl, so they creep into the house, Swanilda among them. Arriving in excitement, Coppelius hurries in through the open door of his house in bad suspicion.

Act 2

The girls look around Coppelius’s study in shy curiosity. Swanilda is interested in nobody but her rival. She steps closer to perceive that it is only a doll. Playing obliviously, the girls wind up the doll, which starts dancing. Coppelius arrives and drives the intruders out of the house. He is ready to get down to work to bring his favourite doll Coppelia to perfection. He carries her out of the window-niche. Later on he notices that a living person is hiding behind the mask. It is Swanilda – to escape Coppelius’ wrath she donned the doll’s clothes and mask. The old man becomes furious, but he is willing to pardon the girl if she puts on the doll’s mask again to teach Francois a lesson.

The boy soon rolls into the room through the chimney. Coppelius chases him, then threatens him with various devices, and eventually introduces Coppelia to him. Francois behaves shyly at first, but later he starts courting her with more and more passion. Swanilda cannot take any more. Tearing her mask off, she runs away. Coppelius watches the scene with malice: his plot has worked. The deceived boy smashes things to pieces in his rage and hurries away with the real Coppelia doll.

Act 3

The bell inauguration feast is about to start. Francois arrives at the square with the Coppelia doll. The girls watch the boys scornfully: Was all the excitement about this ‘girl’? Francois asks Swanilda to forgive him when suddenly confusion breaks out. Coppelius rushes in to complain to the mayor about the great wrong he has suffered, demanding satisfaction. The mayor pays for his damage and Coppelius leaves the scene with his doll. Everybody is happy about what has happened. The young people start dancing, and then they celebrate the winners of the competition, the betrothed Swanilda and Francois.